Jen McGowan's Feminist Horror Rust Creek Is Exactly What Hollywood Needs Right Now

For too long, the horror genre has been defined by repeating tropes: There has to be an element of the supernatural, blood and guts, or a serial killer lurking in the dark in order to get that genre stamp of approval. Director Jen McGowan’s new film, Rust Creek, breaks free from those restraints.

This terrifying tale has the audacity to take place in broad daylight, in the backwoods of a rural Kentucky town that's caught in the crosshairs of the opioid epidemic. When college student Sawyer (Hermione Corfield) lands an interview for her dream job, she has to drive alone to get to it. After a wrong turn leaves her stranded in the icy woods without GPS or cell service, Sawyer is left to face wintery elements and a duo of thuggish locals who don’t have her best interest in mind. But while the co-ed is definitely in distress, she’s nobody’s damsel. Yes, Lowell (Jay Paulson) lends a hand by trying to shield her from harm’s way, but it’s pretty obvious that Sawyer is fully capable of saving herself—one dropkick, punch, and stab at a time.

Given the current climate in Hollywood, a feminist thriller like Rust Creek—which was created by a female screenwriter, director, and cinematographer—is not only right on time, but exactly what we need. BAZAAR.comsat down with the driven filmmaker to talk about her captivating second feature film, the new trend of inclusion riders, and the difficulties of navigating an industry mostly run by white men.

Harper's BAZAAR: So often, if horror films aren’t like The Conjuring or Halloween, they're not considered “true horror." Yet Rust Creek is clearly horror.

Jennifer McGowan: Definitely. Horror doesn’t have to be about ghosts or blood. Horror can also be about stress, anxiety, and a fear.

HB: Speaking of fear and anxiety, Rust Creek’s trailer offers some serious Deliverance “squeal like a pig” vibes, but when you watch the movie, you realize it’s nothing like that. Thankfully! There is no unnecessary degradation for the sake of the plot line, and it’s actually quite refreshing.

JM: Definitely, and it’s important to reiterate that Rust Creek is not torture porn or a rape revenge film, which, sadly, a lot horror falls under nowadays. That’s not the kind of film I wanted to make.

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HB: Were you attracted to this film because of the empowering heroine?

JM: Absolutely. I remember reading the script [written by Julie Lipson], and was so drawn in. I connected with Sawyer. I kept telling myself, “Oh I can make this work.” I understood those tiny beats, her motivation and who she actually was. She’s savvy and knows her boundaries and just wants a better life. From here, I was able to make her real, which is the test: How can we create complex characters that are not stereotypical and have a multidimensional perspective we can relate to?

"Horror doesn’t have to be about ghosts or blood. Horror can also be about stress, anxiety, and a fear."

HB: The men in the film, especially Lowell, are fleshed out, which is interesting because often, female directors add layers and dimensions to male characters in ways that too many male directors (minus Barry Jenkins and Ryan Coogler, of course), won’t do for female characters.

JM: I have a theory about this. So, the dominant group in society doesn’t necessarily have to pay attention to the non-dominant group—women, people of color, the LGBTQ community, etc. They make the rules; they have the power and the control.

Knowing that, the non-dominant is always paying attention to those in power and what is going on around them. They often ask themselves, “What do I have to do in order to succeed? What do I have to do to survive?” That necessity of observing your surroundings hones your [ability] to see the world fully. That ability makes us more empathetic and more able to see the world in a complex way, and our films and our characters reflect that that world. And that’s not to say that [white men] can’t have this skill too, but no one is forcing them to. The world is accommodating to them, not the other way around, and their films often reflect that perspective.

McGowan on the set of Rust Creek.

Courtesy

HB: The performances in Rust Creek are so strong, even without having a lot of dialogue. I believed every moment, every look, and every beat.

JM: So much of my job as a director is to make sure the actor and the performances don’t lie. That’s important. And looking at horror specifically, until recently, the idea of good performances doesn’t immediately come to mind. Yet, with films like Get Out, we're seeing that horror is completely capable of giving the audience something amazing. Hopefully, just maybe, this genre is evolving.

HB: Rust Creek dropped shortly after a San Diego State study found that female filmmakers helmed only 8 percent of the 250 highest-grossing films of 2018, down from 11 percent in 2017.Did this data surprise you?

JM: No. There’s nothing surprising about this report, especially if you’re actually paying attention, and see what’s going on in the industry.

HB: Yet, we continue to hear these ridiculous stories from male directors and writers, mostly white, crying that their agents told them they couldn’t get hired or staffed because “women and people of color are getting all the jobs.” How can this perspective exist when we have this data saying the exact opposite?

JM: Easy. They are [using] these personal experiences to describe an entire system and world [and] to make excuses as to why they don’t have what they believe they’re entitled to. And thank God for the research that counters this.

Also, a lot of times, reps don’t want to be honest with their clients, so they cover themselves by not having those hard conversations. They aren’t going to say, “Maybe your work sucks and that’s why you’re not getting hired.” It’s easier to make it about “other people” taking up their space. And it’s even easier to try to say that diversity is about bringing in less talented people, when we know that’s not the truth.

"We're not asking bosses to step down or compromise when it comes to talent. There are plenty of skilled professional women out there who are ready to do the work."

HB: If men are getting this riled up, I can’t even imagine how they feel about “inclusion riders,” which we’ve seen folks like Regina King and Michael B. Jordan vow to use for future projects. Do you believe these riders will help diversify the industry in front of and behind the camera?

JM: Potentially. But humans and power are a tricky mix, because humans with power don’t like to give it up. If they can give it up and not complain about it, it can work. But it bums me out when we talk about inclusion riders because we only hear women, women of color, and people of color making declarations about using them, when really it’s the white guys, the gatekeepers with the power, that need to be enforcing them.

HB: You don’t just talk about the importance of hiring female talent—you created a networking organization, Film Powered, to help women get jobs in Hollywood.

JM: I started Film Powered a little over three years ago geared for professional women. It’s free and we have 2,500 members that represent all types of roles in Hollywood—directors, grips, producers, and cinematographers. We host social events, post job listings, and have workshops, too.

We’re also relaunching the site at Sundance this month and I’m so excited because this work matters. I’m so tired of hearing, “Oh, I can’t find women to hire.” Well, Film Powered has the women, all in one place, and they are qualified. Which is another thing that annoys me: When we're saying, "Hire women," we're not asking bosses to step down or compromise when it comes to talent. There are plenty of skilled professional women out there who are ready to do the work.

HB: You're so talented. Yet despite your last feature film Kelly & Cal winning the Gamechanger Award at SXSW in 2014, it took you almost five years to make Rust Creek. That, and you're still looking for an agent. Make it make sense, Jen.

JM: I can’t. [Laughs] I can get angry about it, but I’ll say this: I have a great lawyer and publicist who support me and have my back. And as far as getting an agent, I’m looking for someone who gets me and is in for the long haul and I just haven’t found that person yet. But I know it will happen.

HB: What’s up next? A TV show perhaps?

JM: Ha! Maybe. Co-creator Eliza Lee and I are developing Angelica, a scripted drama about an abortion clinic in a small Midwestern town [that's about to be] the state’s only remaining abortion clinic. We see how the clinic impacts the people in that town and how all these outside forces want to come in and change things. We’re excited and hopeful, but that’s all I can say about that right now.

Kellee TerrellKellee Terrell is an award-winning filmmaker and journalist who writes about race, gender, health and pop culture.

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